Rep. Gutiérrez Introduces Bill to Open ObamaCare to Illegal Immigrants

Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) says illegal immigrants should not be barred from Obamacare.

Gutiérrez says access to Obamacare is a moral imperative for all, regardless of legal status. He’s introduced legislation that would expand access to President Obama’s signature healthcare law to illegal immigrants.

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Speaking on the House Floor, Gutiérrez recalled Pope Francis’ address to Congress, saying the pontiff inspired him and other Members to remember the Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

“That is why I am introducing the Exchange Inclusion for a Healthy America Act of 2015, a bill to give people complete access to the Affordable Care Act regardless of their immigration status,” Illinois Democrat said.

Gutiérrez’s bill, if passed, would open the Obamacare exchanges to illegal immigrants, subject them to the individual mandate, and make them eligible for the same subsidies Americans are able to access.

“The goal is to make integration and inclusion real for millions of families that are locked out under current law,” he said.

According to Gutiérrez, his legislation “says we stand for inclusion.”

“Doing unto others as you would have them do unto you means moving forward with no restrictions on which brother and sister and neighbor we think of as ‘eligible’ or ‘deserving’ or is in fact considered ‘my’ neighbor or ‘my’ sister or ‘my’ brother,” he said.